bonnie_web Bonnie: I love the taste of a good mustard as it kicks up the flavor of almost everything — from sandwiches to salad dressings and lots of foods in between. Mustard is made basically as it was in ancient Greek and Roman times – crush the mustard seeds and just add liquid (vinegar, wine, beer) and seasonings.

Looking for an interesting new mustard for a salad dressing, I perused my testing closet, where I keep food samples that have arrived on my doorstep until I’m ready to test them. There I found a few squeeze bottles of Saucy Mama mustards: Smoky Garlic, Backyard Brat, Champagne & Honey…. but the one that caught my eye was the Chipotle, as I wanted that spicy bite in my dressing.

I love how this chipotle mustard kicks up the flavor of everything! I wondered how it was intended, so I reached out to Suzie Barhyte, “Saucy Mama” herself, to ask how she uses her chipotle mustard. (Her son Chris — the company’s president of sales and marketing — insisted that Suzie’s picture go on the “Saucy Mama” labels.) Suzie’s the creative mastermind behind these mustards, using the freshest ingredients while leaving out additives and fillers.

Suzie loves to cut out fat in her tuna fish and egg salad sandwiches by using the mustard in lieu of mayonnaise; she uses it in salad dressings, coleslaw and deviled eggs. She spreads it inside a spinach and cheese omelet, adding a zip of flavor.

Me? I love the smoky taste in salad dressings, marinades and sauces, on sandwiches, baked ham, pork roast, grilled chicken or lamb.

Bryan 3aphoto - Version 2Bryan: It all seems too wholesome, too natural, too down to earth. Who exactly is this “Saucy Mama” and where does her sauce come from? Can she be trusted? It just had to be a sham, I thought. Some huge corporation, some big food conglomerate posing as a nice little lady just selling homemade sauces. It was too perfect.

Well, wrong again. Conspiracy theory smashed… though Saucy Mama does moonlight by another name. Ahah, gotcha! Well, not really again. Saucy Mama is actually Barhyte Specialty Foods, but it, in turn, is as wholesome as it comes! Barhyte is a small family company in Pendleton, OR. This literal “mom and pop operation” is certainly not the brainchild of some large company’s marketing department. Best of all, it is turning out some of the country’s most delicious condiments: mustards, marinades and sauces that are truly gourmet offerings.

Barhyte is definitely better known as “Saucy Mama,” a brand name it promotes instead of its own (and much catchier than Barhyte, I must say). This line only uses the finest and freshest ingredients, but more important is what it leaves out: additives, fillers and other chemicals with names you can’t pronounce. It is dedicated to flavor, not science. The Barhyte family’s sense of deliciousness is not newly found, either. In fact, the flavors date back to the 18th century when Jacobus Barhyte first settled in New York and created his own Sweet ‘n Sour Mustard Sauce. His recipe has been passed down through the Barhyte family for generations, just waiting to get out.

Susan Barhyte was the first to share the mustard with the outside world in the late 1970s when her family owned a deli. It served a number of house-made mustards from the large variety of family recipes developed over generations. The deli’s customers enjoyed the uniquely made mustards so much that they began requesting them in containers to go. Soon, mustard sales grew faster than deli sales, turning the whole enterprise into a family business.

Today, Barhyte Specialty Foods produces a wide range of delicious sauces and condiments. The mastermind behind this plethora of gourmet creations, the “Saucy Mama” Suzie Barhyte, spends hours in the kitchen so you don’t have to. She is constantly playing with ingredients and testing new ideas, and it shows. The Saucy Mama collection includes some truly great tastes, and though today we’re raving rightfully about the Chipotle mustard, other great flavors include: Apricot Ginger Mustard, Backyard Brat Mustard, Champagne & Honey Mustard, Cracked Pepper Marinade, Dijon Mustard, Lime Chipotle Marinade, Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing, Sesame Ginger Dressing, Smoky Garlic Mustard, Tarragon Lemon Mustard and a Zesty Cocktail Sauce. Take your next turkey sandwich to the next level.

Eric (2 sunglasses)Eric: Mustard, how many ways can you cut it? Suzie Barhyte might argue that there’s only one way — with a little chipotle. And not that I agree with most, but she’s on the right track. Saucy Mama Chipotle Mustard is a natural, non-science experiment, mustard. Made from the “best stuff on earth” (bring it on Snapple), the Saucy Mama concept started small at a local family deli and has become the benchmark for mustard. We might be touting the Chipotle variety, but Saucy Mama is available in a variety of flavors that will help to enhance your palette, and your daily sandwich…